My NaNoWriMo Do's and Don'ts

DO make a Snowflake outline ahead of time.

DO stick to its scene list like it's the gospel truth so you don't wander off and write another 100k that isn't relevant...again.

DO add notes to yourself in [brackets] as you're writing so you can keep track of changes you want to make later.

DON'T worry what that will do to your word count. Your goal is a finished novel manuscript, not a mere 50k.



DO turn off the Internet. Except to post word count updates.


DO take Saturdays off, or your tendinitis will overwhelm you. Unless you didn't type much on Friday and an idea strikes you Saturday night while you're watching Doctor Who reruns.

DO use liniment during the day and wear your wrist brace at night even if it doesn't feel like it needs it. It does.

DON'T try to set a new personal record for most words written in one day. You couldn't type for 4 days after that.

DO write entire scenes at once whenever possible. Homogeneity is a good thing in scene tone.

DO eat regularly, and with relatively healthy food, so your hypoglycemia doesn't flare up mid-scene.

DO get up between scenes and stretch, exercise a bit, or do a quick chore. The house always looks cleanest during the first week of NaNo!

DO upload your word count every hour or so like the obsessive nutjob you are.

DO check your writing buddies' word counts every morning to see if anyone has passed you.

DO try to stay in the top 5 among your writing buddies' word counts.

DO boot everyone from your writing buddies list who hasn't actually written anything the first week. They're not helping your momentum.

DO remember you have a family, and spend time with them when you're not writing.